Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-02-10
A SWAMP MYSTERY.
TB0ston Globe.l

OF the civil war.
Gen. Burnside had captured long
reach of the seaboard, and had estab-
lished his headquarters at Newbern.
No battles followed very soon, nor
any storms to speak of, but the army
and the weather were fast getting into
a high state of preparation for either
kind of event.
There were Union troops at Fort
Macon and Morehead City, not many
miles up the coast from Newbern, and |
much pay was due them.
The money came down from the
North in July, and a couple of pay
masters received orders to go at once
and deal it out to the men.
Before the war railway had been
constructed from Newbern to More
head City; its rails were still there,
but all its rolling stock, with the ex-
ception of one hand car, had gone into
the interior of the State The viaduct
was just wide enough to carry the
rails, and much of its course was
through swamp whose dense bushes
were now luxurIantly reaching out as
if they meant to capture the track be
fore the end of the season.
The quartermaster placed his one
hand car at. the disposal of the pay
masters. He did so with the pleasant
information that on the previous even
ing the busy Confederates had made
a raid and had swept away al! the
pickets posted along the line of the
railway. New pickets had been post
ed, he told them, and their proposed
trip would be reasonably safe.
That is he said. Il guess you're
safe from any Confeds, but if you
don't get through before dark I'd ad-
wise you to be. pretty prompt about
answering any hail The boys'll all
be awake this time They won't be
slow about taking care of themselves
in the dark. Not man of 'em wants
to go to Wilmington just now, nor TO
Andersonville, neither
That warning made the Paymaster
shake his head and grow in import
ance before the hand car set out for it
was plain enough that it would be
dark before the trip could be hall
made. Precisely how dark 1t would
be, or why, was not as yet imagined
by anybody.
There were nine men huddled on
that hand-car when it went. A ser
geant and four soldiers were its mo
tive power, guard and garrison. The
writer of this story was there alto
gether as an adventurer. Two pay
masters, with the rank of major, anc
one clerk we're in charge of blacl
box containing over $4,000 in green
backs, to be scattered among the vol
unteers on the morrow.
The air grew more and more clos
and sultry, and just before night
sort of haze began to rise over tn
eastern horizon.
THAT'S it, Major, said the sergeant
to one of the paymasters. Were 90
ing to hear from Cape Hatteras.'
Storm coming?
Right along. Twon't take it lon
to come
He was correct as to the time re
quired by Cape Hatteras, or whateve
was managing that storm. The SIX
rapidly grew black as ink, and dari
ness came with but moderate relel
ence to the departing sun.
Just before entering the dense
thickets of the swamp, picket WI
reached, and the officer in charge r.
peated the warning of the quarterma
ter.
BE ready to answer right away
It'll be pitch dark, and some of tt
boys are nervous after last night
work They'll shoot quick
That was to the sergeant but it W
paymaster who replied: s.
w ell, now, Captain, we didn't s.
so, but we thought the trip would
safer by night than by day. The m
have got to have the money
Hope the rebs won't get it, then.
Put her through, sergeant, but lo'
sharp; the storms most got here.
also was correct about the weather.
ten minutes more such storm b
arrived as was credit to Cape Hs
teras and the whole sea coast of Nor
Carolina. On rolled the hand-car,
crouching passengers drenched W
rain that fell in streams rather tn
drops. The lightning flashed aim
necessarily, and the thunder seem
to be rolling around all over
swamp. Except where streak
lightning cleft it, the darkness '
like solid wall, and there was neitt
headlight nor hand lantern provid
for that hand-car.
Worst storm ever saw remark
the sergeant, and one of the brace
men who were acting as motive poV
grunted back at him. 'Its the wo
kind of storm, but you can't see it.
1t was a just correction of the sta
ment made by the sergeant, but
that moment hoarse, deep, all
sepulchral voice from among
bushes and blackness on the right